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Alice Ghostley

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Alice Ghostley
Ghostley as Cousin Alice in Mayberry R.F.D., 1970.
Born
Alice Margaret Ghostley

(1924-08-14)August 14, 1924
Eve, Missouri, U.S.
DiedSeptember 21, 2007(2007-09-21) (aged 83)
Studio City, California, U.S.
OccupationActress[1]
Years active1953–2000
SpouseFelice Orlandi (1953–2003) (his death)

Alice Margaret Ghostley (August 14, 1924 – September 21, 2007)[2] was an American actress. She was best known for her roles as nanny/aide de camp Esmeralda (1969–72) on Bewitched, as Cousin Alice (1970–71) on Mayberry R.F.D., and as Bernice Clifton (1986–93) on Designing Women, for which she received an Emmy Nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 1992. Ghostley was also a regular on the James Garner-Margot Kidder NBC western Nichols (1971–72) and the critically acclaimed variety series The Julie Andrews Hour (1972–73).[3]

Early life

Ghostley was born in Eve, Vernon County, Missouri, where her father worked as a telegraph operator. She grew up in Henryetta, Oklahoma. After graduating from high school, she attended the University of Oklahoma but dropped out to pursue a career in theatre.[4]

Career

Stage

Ghostley first came to Broadway in Leonard Sillman's New Faces of 1952 and in the film version released in 1954.[1] She appeared in the 1960 revue A Thurber Carnival and in The Beauty Part (1962), playing several distinct roles in each. She also performed in several musical comedies, including Shangri-La (1956).

In 1978 she succeeded Dorothy Loudon, who had created the role of Miss Hannigan in the original Broadway run of the musical Annie.

Television

A veteran of early television, Ghostley appeared as Joy, one of the ugly stepsisters in the 1957 musical television production of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's Cinderella, which starred Julie Andrews in the title role. The other stepsister was played by actress Kaye Ballard. Twelve years later, Ghostley guest starred as a harried maternity nurse on Miss Ballard's comedy series, The Mothers-in-Law.[5]

Ghostley guest starred on the NBC police comedy, Car 54, Where Are You?, with Joe E. Ross and Fred Gwynne. She portrayed recurring characters on several situation comedies, beginning with Bewitched in 1966. In the episode, "Maid To Order", Ghostley played an inept maid named Naomi, who was hired by Darrin Stephens (played by Dick York) to assist his wife Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) during her pregnancy. Towards the end of the 1965-1966 season, actress-comedienne Alice Pearce, who was featured as the nosy neighbor Gladys Kravitz on Bewitched, passed away. The producers of the series immediately offered the role of Gladys to Ghostley, who promptly refused it. As a result, in the fall of 1966, character actress Sandra Gould assumed the role of Gladys Kravitz. However, three years later, in September, 1969, after the death of actress Marion Lorne, who played Samantha's befuddled but lovable Aunt Clara, Ghostley joined Bewitched as a semi-regular in the role of Esmeralda, a shy witch who served as a maid and babysitter to the Stephens' household.[3] Ghostley's character of Esmeralda was created to replace Aunt Clara's role as a bumbler of magic. (Coincidentally, Ghostley and Lorne shared a brief scene together in the 1967 film The Graduate, a few months prior to Lorne's death and before Ghostley was cast in Bewitched.)

Ghostley's "Esmeralda" appeared in 15 episodes between 1969 and 1972. [6]

During her two years on Bewitched as a semi-regular, Ghostley also joined the cast of Mayberry R.F.D., playing Cousin Alice after Frances Bavier's character, Aunt Bee, was written off the series. She appeared in 14 episodes.

In the spring of 1972, Bewitched was canceled by ABC after eight years. In September of that year, Ghostley was hired as a semi-regular for the ABC-TV variety series, The Julie Andrews Hour. In addition to participating in songs and sketches, Andrews and Ghostley were featured in a recurring segment as roommates sharing a small apartment. The Julie Andrews Hour was canceled by ABC in the spring of 1973 after twenty-four episodes.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Ghostley appeared in episodes of situation comedies such as Hogan's Heroes (alternating with Kathleen Freeman playing Gertrude Linkmeyer, General Burkhalter's sister), Good Times, Maude, One Day at a Time, The Odd Couple and What's Happening!!.

Between 1986 and 1993, Ghostley portrayed Bernice Clifton, the slightly off-kilter friend of Julia and Suzanne Sugarbaker's mother, Perky, on Designing Women.[7] She later played Irna Wallingsford in six episodes of Evening Shade. She also had a recurring role of Ida Mae Brindle in the sitcom Small Wonder, which ran from 1985 to 1989. Among many other guest roles, she appeared in a flashback episode as the crazed mother-in-law of Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur) on The Golden Girls. She made a one-time appearance as "Great-Grandma" in Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Ghostley also made a few guest appearances on the daytime drama Passions in 2000, playing the ghost of Matilda Matthews.

Film

Among her roles in motion pictures, Ghostley appeared in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962),[3] playing Stephanie Crawford, the fussy neighborhood gossip. She appeared in the 1976 film Gator as Emmeline Cavanaugh. She also appeared in the film version of Grease as shop teacher Mrs. Murdock. In 1985, she had a supporting role in the Nancy Allen comedy Not for Publication. Alice played Grandmama in the direct-to-video movie Addams Family Reunion.

Awards

Ghostley received a Tony nomination in the late 1960s for different roles she played in the Broadway comedy The Beauty Part. She also received a Tony award for Best Featured Actress for her role in The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window.[4]

In 1992, Ghostley earned an Emmy nomination for her role in Designing Women.[4]

Personal life

Ghostley was married to Felice Orlandi, an Italian-American actor, from 1953 until his death in 2003.[4]

Death

Alice Ghostley died at her home in Studio City, California, on September 21, 2007 after a long battle with colon cancer and a series of strokes.[8]

On Thursday, August 20, 2009, Alice's ashes were taken to Oak Hill Cemetery in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, to be buried with her sister, Gladys, who died on June 21, 2009. The Ghostley sisters were buried next to their parents.

Filmography

References

  1. ^ a b Arnold, Gary (18 October 2007). "Familiar New Faces: Spoofs Endure For Cast, Films". The Washington Times. Retrieved 27 November 2012. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ Stuart Lavietes (22 September 2007). "Alice Ghostley, Comic TV and Stage Actress, Is Dead". The New York Times. NYTimes.com. Retrieved 2012-02-15.
  3. ^ a b c Lavietes, Stuart (22 September 2007). "Alice Ghostley, Comic TV and Stage Actress, Is Dead". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 November 2012. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  4. ^ a b c d "Bewitched Actress Alice Ghostley Dies". Sunday Gazette-Mail. 23 September 2007. Retrieved 27 November 2012. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  5. ^ Foster, Catherine (5 December 2004). "Rodgers & Hammerstein's Musical Cinderella Story Returns". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 27 November 2012. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  6. ^ "When Esmeralda Sneezed". Archived from the original on 10 June 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-27. {{cite web}}: |first= missing |last= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ Bornfeld, Steve. (3 July 1990). "Quality-Television Group Picks Nominees For Its Own Awards". Albany Times. Retrieved 27 November 2012. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  8. ^ "Alice Ghostley (DIED) (Obituary)". The Advocate. 6 November 2007. Retrieved 27 November 2012. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

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